2009 TOUR Championship: player preview - seeds 1-10

September 23, 11:44 PMMinneapolis Golf ExaminerKyle Anway

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Will Tiger be celebrating on Sunday at
East Lake? (Photo: AP/Stew Milne)

TOUR Championship player previews: Monday: 21-30; Tuesday 11-20; Wednesday 1-10

They’ve worked hard to get there, and now it all comes down to four rounds of golf. The top 10 in the FedEx Cup playoffs have put themselves into a great position to win the $10 million bonus that comes along with the trophy, and it all goes down this week at East Lake at the TOUR Championship. And for those in the top 5, all they need to do is win, as each control their own destiny. But which of the 30 competitors will be the lone man with a smile on his face on Sunday? Let’s take a look at the top third of the field…

It’s their tournament to lose: Tiger Woods, Steve Stricker, Jim Furyk, Zach Johnson and Heath Slocum
The top five in points control their own destiny at East Lake. That means, with a TOUR Championship win, they’ll also claim the FedEx Cup and $10 million bonus in one fell swoop.

1. Tiger Woods has looked as ordinary as a man who will own all the records when all is said and done possibly can. He has six victories to his credit this year, yet none of them are majors. He fell short in the PGA Championship and The Barclays in back-to-back weeks, finished out of the top 10 for only the second time all season at the Deutsche Bank. But he is Tiger Woods, and he proved it with a convincing win at the BMW Championship two weeks ago, a rout that included an eight-stroke margin of victory and a tournament-record 62 in the third round.
    

(Photo: AP/Michael Dwyer)
2. In a Tiger-less universe, Steve Stricker would be the hands-down favorite to win the TOUR Championship as well as the FedEx Cup. He’s won three times on tour and has 10 top 10s, including two playoff events. If Tiger doesn’t win, Stricker will be there to assume the top spot, thanks primarily to his driving accuracy (45th), greens in regulation (31st) and putting average (2nd).
   
   
   
   
   
    

(Photo: AP/Stew Milne)
3. If Jim Furyk earns his first win of 2009, it will be a big one. Furyk has finished second twice, including two weeks ago at the BMW. He’s been all over the leaderboard at times, but his game is rounding into shape at the best possible time. He’s also had some success at the TOUR Championship, with a T6 in 2008 and a second-place finish in 2006.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
    

(Photo: AP/John Smierciak)
4. Zach Johnson had a blazing start to the season with a T-6 at the Mercedes-Benz and a win at the Sony Open. After that, inconsistency dogged his 2009 campaign, even with a second win at the Valero Texas Open. He did enjoy a top 10 at the PGA Championship and a fifth-place finish at the BMW, so it’s possible that he could be lingering around the lead at East Lake. To do so, he’ll have to count on his ninth-ranked driving accuracy and strong putting ability.
    

(Photo: AP/Mel Evans)
5. Heath Slocum entered the playoffs in 124th out of 125 players, but a win at The Barclays vaulted him up into contention. However, he couldn’t carry the momentum forward, missing the cut at the Deutsche Bank and failing to contend at the BMW. He’s a nice story, but he’s got little chance of coming through at the TOUR Championship.

AS FOR THE REST OF THE TOP 10...

(Photo: AP/Stew Milne)

Keep an eye on: Padraig Harrington
Many players would be happy with five top 10s heading into the final event. But behind those successes hide a series of collapses that prevented him from finishing even better. First was a snowman at the 16th hole at the Bridgestone in “Slow-play-gate”, followed by a double-waterlogged 8th hole at Hazeltine in the final round of the PGA Championship. A double bogey at 12 during the Deutsche Bank took him out of contention, and a final round 73 sent Paddy plummeting at the BMW. If Harrington can somehow avoid a last-second breakdown, and if Tiger finishes third or worse, Paddy will take home the prize.

(Photo: AP/Mel Evans)

Forget about: Kenny Perry
After posting a string of top 10s early in the season, two wins at the FBR and the Travelers, and a playoff loss in the Masters, Perry’s game has dropped off the map in the playoffs. He hasn’t finished above 43rd in the last four events, and nothing hints at that changing this week.

(Photo: AP/Nam Y. Huh)

Most likely to win it all:
Let’s face it… it’s Tiger’s tournament to win or lose. He controls not only his own destiny, but factors in the destiny of every one of the other 29 players in the field. He can ruin the FedEx Cup chances of dozens of players just by making the top 10. And considering how dominant he looked at the BMW, a simple top 10 would be a disappointment. He can make up for weeks of criticism of his major-less 2009 with a win in the TOUR Championship and by bringing home the FedEx Cup.

*Also needs other top-ranked players to finish poorly, but where current points leader Woods finishes is the most critical. The top 5 can win the FedEx Cup with a win, regardless of where others finish.

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